The Blushing Game
by hailbabel
Summary: Charlote introduces Isabella to The Blushing Game one night at Greek Street. Isabella is caught by surprise.
1. Chapter 1

It was the middle of the night. Isabella ought to have been home at St. James. But here she was, at Greek Street, yet again. She often found herself here. Now that she had her freedom, it was hard to want to go home. St. James was lovely. Every stick of furniture and art was picked by her. All the drapes, all the plush rugs coordinated to her tastes. Her own things occupied every nook and cranny. And yet the tall ceilings and wide halls could often feel hollow and lonely. They paled in comparison to the warmth and joy she found here in Greek Street, surrounded by these loud, coarse women. When the sounds of congress did not spill from the rooms, the women usually gathered in the kitchen passing around a bottle of spirits. They spoke and laughed and joked without reservation and filled the plastered walls with joyous noise. Isabella loved it here.

Though, the joyous noise was not all that drew her here again and again. Charlotte Wells sat next to her in her favorite chair, one hand extended toward Isabella, their knuckles brushing casually. They could be themselves in plain sight here, and that was a most precious gift.

Currently, Lucy was regaling them all with the tale of how she won over a duke with her beauty and wit.

"It was easy enough once I had him playing the Blushing Game. A harlot always wins."

Isabella looked to Charlotte, confused. "What is the Blushing Game? I've never heard of this."

Charlotte grinned into her glass. "It's not a game to be played in polite company. The aim is to make your partner blush by any form of flirtation you possess. It's an easy way to get a man's blood up."

"Oh? Have you played this game before?"

"I am the queen of the Blushing Game," Charlotte said with her trademark confidence.

"Are there any rules?"

"Only three," chimed Lucy. " You lose if you blush, give up, or get violent."

"Shit rules, if you ask me," Nancy said around her pipe.

Isabella grinned.

"Sometimes," said Charlotte. "I like to make it interesting and bet a guinea for every time I can make my mark blush."

Perhaps it was the drink, or perhaps it was the company, but Isabella felt suddenly bold.

"I'll take that bet," she said, taking a deep drink of spirit.

"You're on, your ladyship," said Charlotte, but before Isabella could scheme properly, Charlotte was already standing. Charlotte gathered up her skirts, and Isabella found her lap full of those skirts in the next moment. Charlotte was straddling her lap, her hands were on Isabella's face, and her perfume was filling her head. With a soft moan, Charlotte took Isabella's lips in a slow, deep kiss.

Everyone was hooting and howling, someone banged the table, and Isabella felt an exhilarated sort of panic rise in her chest. Her first thought was to push away, but the softness of Charlotte's lips, the sweetness of her tongue, and perhaps the heat of gin and something further south blanked her mind.

When Charlotte pulled away, she was wearing a sly smirk and Isabella was hot all the way up to her ears.

"I am the queen of this game," she said into Isabella's ear. "And you owe me a guinea."


	2. Chapter 2

By the time they made it to bed that evening, Isabella had to fork over three more guineas. Of all the money she'd ever lost, on purpose or otherwise, it was the most pleasurable loss she'd ever taken.

"Charlotte Wells, you are a cheater," Isabella said, trying to get her breathing back under control. Perhaps she was out of her depth in this challenge.

"That's not cheating, that's how you play the game. At least, it's how I play the game."

"Well, it's cheating!" Isabella insisted, but she was grinning despite herself.

"Alright then. We can make it even more interesting. Any blushing caused by touching won't count." Charlotte did not seem at all perturbed by this new restriction. If anything, she seemed even more excited. "Though, that won't stop me touching you just for fun."

Isasbella woke in the gray pre-dawn with the pleasant warmth of Charlotte curled against her side. She reached out and gently swept a stray curl back from Charlotte's face, thinking of how serene and quiet she was. So unlike Charlotte when she was awake. Isabella felt a faint warmth in her cheeks and resolved not to tell Charlotte when she awoke-after all, she was making her own self blush. She couldn't very well give herself a guinea.

Well, she could, but it would be ridiculous.

As she thought in circles about that paradox, Charlotte's eyes fluttered and she slowly awoke to join the land of the living.

"What schemes are you plotting," Charlotte said thickly through a haze of sleepiness.

"No plotting," said Isabella. "Yet. I was only thinking about how nice it would be to go out for a ride today."

Charlotte stretched luxuriously. It was not often that she would stay past the small hours of the night. Though, every now and then, she would forego the pressing matter of business to stay with Isabella. She turned on her side to better see Isabella. A sheet was draped across her almost as an afterthought, inches from slipping from her supple curves. The almost-nakedness of her was somehow more tantalizing than seeing her completely bare. Charlotte's eyes dragged up her body slowly. Distantly, she knew she was straying into dangerous territory. She had won the game last night, but if she stared any longer she'd forfeit this round. Instead, she turned her eyes toward the window where a fine mist was pattering softly on the glass.

"You can't go out there, love, it's raining. You'll get all wet."

Isabella made a small noise in the back of her throat. It was practically a pur.

"I don't mind the wetness. It's quite pleasant, actually. And a good, hard ride in the rain can be bracing." Isabella watching Charlotte who was staring very deliberately out the window and not making eye contact.

"I nearly forgot how much you like a stiff ride. Isn't it tiring?"

"Nonsense," Isabella said lightly. "The vigorous exercise, thrusting forward into the wind, the breathless panting-it's all so exhilarating." Isabella hadn't meant it how it sounded, but she could see her words were having an effect. Charlotte was scarcely breathing and her lips pressed together ever so delicately. "You ought to join me, Charlotte." Isabella put a delicate emphasis on her lover's name using the full effect of her dark and breathy voice. She had not once taken her eyes off of Charlotte, noting how she had gone still and refused to look at her. At that last word, Charlotte's eyes snapped to Isabella's and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Isabella held her gaze like a vice until Charlotte gulped and looked away, her cheeks turning pink.

Isabella smirked and held out her hand. Charlotte rolled over with a groan, taking a coin from the nightstand to press it into her palm.

Satisfied with her victory, Isabella stood from the bed, letting the sheet fall from her body. Circling to Charlotte's side of the bed, she searched the room for the chemise she was sure she had been wearing the night before.

"Charlotte," she said. "Would you like to go down?"

"Hm?" Charlotte seemed to have been in another world. "Down?"

"To breakfast?" Isabella said.

"I think I'd rather… eat out." It was Charlotte's turn to hold Isabella's gaze now.

But Isabella only blinked, confused.

"To a cafe? Is it not too early?"

"Cafe? What, no. Eat out?" Charlotte said more pointedly, but it didn't seem to help at all. Isabella pressed her lips together, rumpling the robe she'd picked up in place of a chemise. "I want to eat you out?" Charlotte said, but gave it up as a wash when Isabella only blinked her wide doe eyes, looking uncertain. "Oh, my dear Isabella, there is so much yet for you to learn."

Charlotte muttered to herself after Isabella had left down to breakfast, still looking quite confused. Damn her and her horse. Charlotte was fairly sure Isabella hadn't even been flirting, at least not at first, and really just wanted to get out and ride. It would have been nice, but now Charlotte could not think of it without picturing Isabella riding naked, the fine rain misting her skin. Her hair damp and clinging to her skin. Arms thrust into the air, head tipped back in bliss.

Charlotte rose abruptly from the bed, disgruntled with her own lack of control, and retrieved her chemise and robe. She was determined not to think of Isabella astride a stallion, galloping bareback in the soft morning light. And yet, the more she tried not to, the more it was all she could think about.

Charlotte was still muttering to herself when she made it down to breakfast. Damn that woman and her big blue eyes. They were so innocent, and yet not. Even though there were obvious gaps in her knowledge of lust, she knew more than she let on. Charlotte was still pondering how her ploy could have failed when she entered the dining room.

Isabella was sat at the dining table, still in only her robe. She had not bothered to shut it, and leaned casually with an elbow propped on the table. Her gaze flicked up from the fruit on her plate, and she graced Charlotte with an easy smile.

"Good… morning?" Charlotte said carefully. This was very unlike Isabella, but Charlotte could not find it in herself to object. Clearly, it was a ploy, and she was determined not to fall for it. Charlotte scrubbed her face with her palm, hoping to clear the fog from her mind.

"Good morning, darling. Come, join me for breakfast." Isabella spoke softly, but with a casual lightness. Charlotte pushed away the tingle it gave her at the back of her neck.

Isabella had been sure to leave her hair down. It draped over one shoulder, curling luxuriously across her alabaster bosom. Charlotte did not meet her gaze, for to do so would be to lose the game. However, her sinful eyes betrayed her, dragging down that lazily curling lock and further down Isabella's body, lingering on her curves. She was spared from the sight of what she knew to be Isabella's very pink nipples by an arm across her chest, and Charlotte felt a pang of disappointment.

Isabella crossed her long legs, waiting for Charlotte to respond.

Charlotte swallowed thickly and finally met her gaze.

"What?" she said lamely. "Think I've never seen tits before?" But her words rang hollow and Isabella's lips quirked into a knowing smile.

The faint sun shone through the tall windows, highlighting her in silver-gray. It kissed her skin delicately, obscenely.

Charlotte wanted to kiss her skin.

Instead, she sat herself at the table, making sure the serving trays and dishes were between them as if to shield herself from the vision before her.

Isabella only chuckled softly at Charlotte's rebuke. The sound tumbled gently from her lips, the dark melody of it unassuming. Charlotte cursed Isabella's placid nature.

"You seem troubled, my love," Isabella said. "Surely you are not tempted. You have seen me before." Isabella raised an eyebrow delicately and took a cherry from her plate. Ever so slowly, she took it into her mouth and bit into the flesh deliberately. The fruit burst between her teeth, and Isabella let a drop of its juice run from her lips.

Charlotte did not want to watch it drip onto her breast, but she could not help herself. Lazily, Isabella dabbed it with a fingertip, and sucked the digit clean.

"Take your guinea, succubus, and shut your robe!" Charlotte grumbled, slapping a coin on the table between them.

Isabella smiled sweetly and obeyed as Charlotte's face turned ever redder.

She was starting to get the hang of this.


End file.
